CHAPTER 19
Rayna
I walked into the office with a happy greeting, still playing back the morning in my head. It was almost magical, and I couldn't believe how much he turned me on at the gym. Okay, so it wasn't the first time, but it was stronger when I was so close to him, knowing that I was going to be going home with him.
Yes, that was awesome.
I warmed up the computer and sipped the coffee I bought on the way in, setting up the cold water beside it as I glanced out of the window. It was Thursday, and I only had a couple of days left of working before we left town. I was both excited and scared, wondering what I'd do if James tried to contact me. He rarely did when he was gone unless there was something social coming up that I had to be ready for, and I was sure that was just because of our parents. I knew that there was nothing major to worry about and since my own parents were gone for a few weeks longer, I wasn't worried.
I wasn't sure if that was the right way to feel.
I started making the bookings on auto pilot as I listened to Pandora turned low, thinking that I should shut my phone down. I could always say that I lost it since money was no issue and could just replace it once I was home. I could even get another one before I left with a new number and even another company. Once I left him, I wouldn't need to speak to James any longer. We didn't have kids, and there was nothing at the house that I wanted. I'd have to deal with my parent's reaction, but it felt like it was worth it as I thought about Declan.
I felt like I could do this, go through with it. The talk with Angela and Lana only solidified that, and I smiled absently as I glanced at the next booking. My face paled when I saw that it was James asking for Angela again, for a travel job. The way to handle that was to say that she was no longer available but this was more personal to me. I saw her arm. I sent back a generic message and moved on, trying not to think about James.
He responded, angry and demanding to see Angela. He offered a lot of money to have her join him, but I took a deep breath and sent back the same message. The intention was for it to sound like a robot would and I fought hard not to add something to it suggesting who I was.
He waited a few moments to respond, demanding another couple of girls. I fought the bile in my throat as I thought about sending anyone to him after seeing Angela. I said that I would see who was available and moved onto the next bookings, ignoring him. Surely, he'd let this go.
I could let it go to the other girls since Angela was flagged in the system as unavailable to James. They might go through with his other request, which worried me and I felt sweat pooling in my hair.
Was this job too personal for me now? James was a new name in the system, relatively speaking. I knew that he more than likely wasn't faithful before that, but this was more invasive than anything before.
I thought of something and smiled deviously as I pulled up client information. I looked over towards the other offices and deleted his account with the push of a button as I widened my eyes. Holy shit … did I really just do that?
It didn't happen often, but I'd seen it done with some of the rougher ones in the past. Lana did it twice to avoid certain clients, and they never showed back up, since she knew how to block them. I didn't, but I hoped that James would just move on to something else that I wasn't personally involved in. That thought sickened me as well, and I shivered as I longed for him to just disappear. That was extreme, but I hated him more these days.
I walked down to the cell phone store on lunch, signing up with an entirely different company and buying a new phone. I was going to turn mine off and toss it into the ocean as soon as possible, but I needed to set the new one up once it was charged. I grabbed a salad to nibble on while I worked, plugging in the newest Google phone as I smiled.
I messaged Declan from work, telling him what I did. He sounded pleased, and I grinned at his praise. I didn't tell him about James, but it also slipped my mind to mention the talk with Angela the other day. He was just too damn distracting for me.
He told me that we'd get the new one set up when I got to the house, offering to throw the old one into the water himself. He seemed excited about that idea, and I felt secure inside as I booked another girl. He also told me that he had a great idea for the trip, but it was going to wait until I was there and in his arms.
I knew that his house was beginning to feel like home, something that scared me. I knew that it was too fast, given our situations. I also knew that it was dangerous. James had friends in high places and finding me wouldn't be that difficult if he chose to. Finding me with another man would put Declan at risk, even though I was already doing that being with him now.
I hoped that he chose something far away, where we could be completely different people. I just wanted to escape this place and this life before reality hit hard.
I kept working through the night, happy to not see James pop back into the system. I knew that wasn't all I'd hear from him, but for tonight, I just wanted to forget about James.
Once my shift was over, I took the new phone and put it securely in my purse before walking outside with the security guard. He was chatty, and I laughed as I unlocked my door, bidding him good night.
I looked around as I drove to Declan's house, excited to arrive. I'd been dying to know where we were going all night but he wouldn't cave. I tossed around the idea of getting another car along with the phone since I had some unpleasant memories of James in this one. Something new sounded nice, and I made a mental note to tell Declan about that idea as well. I was so glad that I was working and saving my own money and I could do all of this. I knew that there were women that didn't have this luxury in the same situation; women with kids that lived in fear every single day.
I vowed to donate something to that cause, maybe a local shelter or something. I was blessed to have the money and friends supporting me in my choice, something that I would never take for granted. Being raised around wealth never made me spoiled or gave me the idea that I was above anybody else. I saw the bad thing about having too much money and felt the loneliness that came along with it. Meeting Declan made me realize that not everyone with money was like my parents or James' family, only wanting more.
He had plenty of money and a very successful job, but Declan seemed to down to Earth to me. He enjoyed life without being conceited about it. Declan was a man that made me feel so special inside and out, and I painfully admitted that I was falling for him as I pulled into his driveway. I opened the garage and pulled inside, sitting for a moment as I considered the painful truth.
I had all my stuff here, and I was falling for Declan. I knew that I should take everything and run screaming, but I wanted this trip with him. I wanted this feeling with Declan to continue.
I'd leave after that and make my way alone in a new life. I couldn't let him save me from my collapsing marriage. I would just enjoy the time that we had. I smiled slowly before I got out of the car, walking inside to see Declan in the kitchen. "Whatcha doing?"
"Finishing some salads for dinner," he replied as he smiled at me. "How are you?"
"I'm good," I got lost in his eyes for a moment, and I walked forward and set my purse on the counter, brimming with excitement. I wanted to ask him where he was taking me and when we were leaving, but I kept my thoughts to myself as I took in how handsome he was. "How are you?"
"Better now." He left the counter and came over to kiss me, pulling me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back as our bodies molded together. We slowly made our way to the table with the generous Caesar salads and some wine as he asked me about the new phone. "So, you're going to trash the old phone?"
"Yeah, initially I am. I mainly want him to not be able to call me, but I'll go look through real friends and add them to the contacts. I hope that my parents want to call me still, but … " I shook my head. "That might not happen, and I have to be fine with it. I can't let it hold me back anymore."
"I hope I get to be in the contacts." Declan smiled at me as I felt the warmth spread over my skin. "I want to be first."
"Did I tell you that James booked a girl through the agency?" I asked him as he nodded. "He tried to book her again tonight, but she blacklisted him."
"Blacklisted?" Declan asked as I nodded and smiled grimly.
"He got rough with her. We talked the other night, and she apologized for what happened with him, but I was honestly more worried about her than anything. The business … it is what it is. I know that married men book appointments, and I've learned not to judge it. I know that life isn't pretty." I shook my head. "Anyway, he tried to book her again, and I denied him. I ended up deleting him out of the system."